HIV, TB, Viral Hepatitis

HIV, TB, Viral Hepatitis

June 27, 2019

HIV, TB and Viral Hepatitis Training

Presenter: Keneisha M. Whittington-Pressley, MPH

Description:

Participants of this three-hour training will be provided information on viral hepatitis transmission, prevention, symptoms, testing, and available curative treatments. In addition, a thorough discussion will take place of ways in which substance use (both past and present) can facilitate disease transmission and disease progression (i.e. cirrhosis, liver cancer). Participants will learn how CDC testing and treatment guidelines can best be integrated into existing programs. The goals are to educate SUD staff on the fundamentals of hepatitis C and to empower them to implement viral hepatitis prevention and testing integration strategies into their existing programs.

Keneisha M. Whittington-Pressley, MPH is the Health Educator for the Viral Hepatitis Program at the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SC DHEC). As a member of the Division of STD, HIV and Viral Hepatitis, Keneisha’s duties are designed to serve the target population. She currently facilitates the “Understanding Viral Hepatitis” and “Hepatitis C: Screening, Diagnosis, and Linkage to Care” courses for the agency. Keneisha is also response for data analysis, program planning, and program evaluation. Prior to becoming a Viral Hepatitis Health Educator, Keneisha worked as Disease Intervention Specialist with SC DHEC. In that position, she worked to provide access to testing, treatment, and education to individuals infected with STD and HIV, and to their partners who had been exposed to the infection. Keneisha received a Bachelor of Science in Public Health with honors from Benedict College in 2014. She later earned a Master of Public Health with a specialization in Public Health Policy from George Washington University. Keneisha has also completed several research projects with topics such as physical activity among minorities, HIV prevention programs for men who have sex with men, and the impact of syringe exchange on infectious disease.